


Cave of the Oracle

by ItWasSomethingAbout



Series: and all our yesterdays have lighted fools [3]
Category: Fablehaven Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: Gen, Mention of the Underking, Not "Champion of the Titan Games" compliant, Seth annoys a wraith into unlocking its tragic backstory, What a wratih wants? What a wraith needs?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:55:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28414272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItWasSomethingAbout/pseuds/ItWasSomethingAbout
Summary: After getting his memories back, Seth supposes his motivations have been complicated, a mixing of his duties from that previous life as the brave Shadowcharmer Knight of Dawn and the shame of all that had elapsed with Ronondin, all the hurt he'd caused. For now, it was enough to deal with the wraith.
Relationships: Bracken & Kendra Sorenson, Bracken & Seth Sorenson, Calvin & Seth Sorenson, Kendra Sorenson & Seth Sorenson
Series: and all our yesterdays have lighted fools [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709872
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Cave of the Oracle

They slept in a cave that night. It was the safest shelter they could muster deep within the seemingly protectionless preserve. It was dry, and with a fire, it wasn’t quite so cold. And most importantly, it’s opening was hardly accommodating for the average dragon’s head. 

So they sat inside and munched on rationed food, quiet and not quite content, but safe for now. 

Finishing his meal, Seth announced his intention to go explore the cave. 

Kendra immediately began to assert the danger of that idea. 

“All the more reason to go check it out. It would suck if something was down there and we didn’t know about it until it slit our throats in the night.”

Kendra pursed her lips. “Then I’ll go with you,” she said as she began to raise herself.

Bracken caught her rising arm. “He’ll be fine on his own. He’s a shadow charmer, after all.”

Seth nodded his agreement.

Kendra huffed but sat back down. “Be careful, then. Get us if you find trouble. Scream if you can’t get us”

Seth nodded indifferently, already moving into the darkness, becoming cloaked in it, and disappearing from his company’s view.

The darkness had a certain chill to it, beyond that would seem natural, an icy shiver instead of the night breeze’s bite. Even as he lit his wand, the light barely penetrated the heavy darkness, and still no end of the cave could be seen, just an endless tunnel. 

He crept deeper into the cavern, bearing witness only to more darkness and cave walls, extending for what still seemed an eternity, the only real change being the heightening of the chill, the darkness’ weight. So he crept on, sure that he would be finding something to find at some point. 

And find something he did.

Seth couldn’t help but feel smug when he reached the incorporeal form of the wraith. And Kendra hadn’t wanted him to check it out. 

_You are warm,_ the wraith greeted in the usual form.

Seth nodded and waved his hand about. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, and, let me guess, you are cold.”

 _Cold,_ the wraith agreed. _I could have your warmth._

“Not for anything more than a moment,” Seth offered in contradiction.

 _You are alive and warm, ripe to be picked,_ the wraith continued. _I could have your life. And then your companion’s lives, too._

“What is my warmth, or my companions warmth, for that matter, if it is gone in an instant, and you are still cold. And still trapped in this gross, cold cave.”

 _Trapped,_ the wraith muttered. _Who said I was trapped?_

“Surely,” Seth conjectured, grasping for Ronodin’s tips. “You could not have chosen to entrap yourself here, in such a dour place, watching guard over nothing, gaining nothing. Kept from your true,” and ignoring some of them anyhow, “purpose.”

_What purpose do you speak of, Shadowcharmer? My purpose is to drain the life of any who is foolish enough to sojourn here. My purpose is to endure._

“I doubt you find many opportunities to drain anyone in a dump like this. And surely, you must endure for something,” Seth spoke, scuffing his shoe on the dank ground.

 _Then, I suppose I must make this opportunity count,_ the wraith menaced.

“Now, just a moment. I’ll stop beating around the bush,” Seth declared, offering his raised hands in appeasement. “I’ll free you from your miserable post here, if, one condition, you swear not to drain, or otherwise bother, me or any of my companions for the duration of our stay.”

 _Do you truly possess the power to release me?_ The wraith hesitated.

“Of course,” Seth blustered. 

_What about the small one? He’s just a little one. Couldn’t I just have a little taste?_

Affronted, Seth exclaimed, “No, you can’t drain Calvin! You will not harm a single one of my companions, or you will rot here for the rest of your eternal existence.” 

_Fine. I swear not to harm you or your companions, if you swear to release me, come morning._

Seth smiled to himself. “I swear it.”

 _Then leave me now, Shadowcharmer, before I become too tempted by your warmth,_ the wraith dismissed.

“Of course. Can I ask you a question first, though?”

The wraith gave no response, but Seth pushed on, wondering about what Ronodin had said about wraiths, “What have you been enduring for?”

Almost instantaneously the temperature dropped like it weighed an elephant, a shiver turned to a freeze. _I have already told you of my purpose. Leave now._

“No, you told me your purpose is to endure. But why endure? If you are so without life, and you can only have life for brief moments, then what’s the point. Surely, there must be something you’re enduring for,” Seth speculated.

 _Hush, you insolent beguiler. You know not what you speak of,_ the wraith glowered, further sharpening the cold. _Leave._

“Hmmmm,” Seth hummed, “How about another deal, then. You tell me what you’re seeking, and I’ll tell you what I am?”

 _Why should I care about your doings, little Shadowcharmer. Perhaps you should learn from me indifference to that which does not concern you._

Seth huffed. “Maybe you should learn from me the phrase ‘mind your business’. It’s easier to say, and even more so to understand.” 

_You understood me just fine. What you can’t seem to understand, however, still seems to be a simple two-syllable word,_ the wraith answered with equal exasperation.

“What? See-king?” Seth snarked.

 _Leave,_ the wraith thundered. 

Seth wracked his brain for any way he could think of to satisfy this curiosity. If he could get a half-way straight answer, he’d know whether or not even Ronodin’s little tips were complete and utter bullshit. But the wraith certainly didn’t seem to want to talk. That, of course, was in line with Ronodin’s tips as well. And wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake if he was spinning falsity? A piece of information he couldn’t actually use. The point of that lie didn’t actually make any sense, unless Ronodin just knew he wouldn’t be able to help but ask about it, and that curiosity would somehow render some benefit to the bastard. 

But if it was all true, and Seth had some vital new piece of information on the nature of wraiths, then he could add it to his ability to talk to dragons and quench flames, and maybe then he had the tiniest bit of something to console himself with in the face of a whole new fresh hell of mistakes. 

“Ok, so you don’t care to know what I’m up to. How about you tell me what you turned for and in exchange I’ll promise that, in the case that I should find whatever it is, I’ll bring it back to you.” Likely, whatever the wraith was seeking was unattainable anyway, so it wasn’t as if there was any harm here.

For a moment the wraith was silent, glowering in true wraith fashion before issuing what would doubtless be a whisper if spoken aloud. _You would help me? After all these ages, and you’d help me for nothing?_

“Not for nothing, for the reason of your very existence, and I wouldn’t go out of my way to help you, no. I will only promise to help if the opportunity presents itself. I’ve offered you nothing. And yet, even that is far too tempting, isn’t it?” 

_I- I was a man once, I suppose. And I wanted the Underking dead, really dead, not in that state of half life he has now, muttering in his successors heads. I wanted him dead, and then I wanted everything the Underking had. I was one of his subjects, once. And I suppose I still am now, just far away. I wanted to get away, and I suppose I have. I wanted out from under his thumb, and then I wanted to put others under mine. There was a way, I thought, a sword that could cut even the Underking’s reign to pieces. I was after that. And I suppose I still am. As withered down to nothing as he is. I don’t remember much, but I remember my fevered longing for the sword._

“It’s a sword you’re after?” Seth breathed.

_Yes._

“Does it have a name? Do you know where it is?”

The wraith glowered. _I have told you all I remember, Shadowcharmer. Now leave, for the last time, before I’m tempted to wheedle my way out of my promises._

Seth raised his hands. “Of course, of course. I’ll be going now. Thank you for all you’ve told me. I promise to keep an eye out for king killing swords.”

And he was off, strutting back to his companions. A sword to kill the Underking. Confirmation that at least Ronodin’s teachings could pay off. Seth was satisfied for the moment, turning the sword over in his mind. It would be nice if he had a name to go with its descriptor, but it was reassuring to know the Underking wasn’t as impossible as he seemed, all the same. 

Humming and kicking rocks, Seth came back to his sister talking to Bracken under her breath, a hissed “what else was I supposed to do” and a “because it never came up and there was never any reason to.” They both looked rather cross with one another. Calvin was snoring surprisingly loud for such a little guy, sleeping straight through whatever drama Seth had alighted upon. 

Seth cleared his throat, separating Bracken and Kendra in an embarrassed huff. “There was a wraith back there, but he promised to leave us alone until tomorrow morning.” And with that, Seth started in on his own sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> So it's been a while. I'm sorry for that, along with the shortness of this chapter and how unedited it is. All I can say is blah blah blah job blah blah blah college blah blah blah distracted sadness or whatever. Lol I hope you liked this snippet anyhow.


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